Shaft Of Light
by icedcooly
Summary: Sorata and Arashi angst.


Shaft of Light by Charlene 

Standard disclaimers apply 

The cold plastic of the chair beneath me was hard. The dim light that filtered through the immaculate blinds unveiled shafts of floating dust by the bed he was lying on. There wasn't any noise but the beep of the large machines by his bed, the only things holding him on to his life. 

There was a modest bedside cabinet by his side, on which a water tumbler and a half emptied glass sat, looking forlorn. I kept my glassy gaze on them, feeling somehow strangely detached yet focused, as if the two objects were all that mattered in the world. And, maybe in some ironical parellel universe, they were. 

For there could not be anything else of much more meaning to me, in this life or any other. 

"Arashi-san, I want to talk to you for a moment." The fair and intensely beautiful woman approached another dark-haired girl—also possessed of beauty, but of a strange haunting aura that showed deeply in her grave dark eyes. 

"You do know—about Arisugawa-san, don't you?" the older woman probed, her eyes gentle yet insistent. Arashi seemed to ponder the question for a moment, before nodding her head haltingly. 

"He will die for the one he loves, a prophecy not to be denied, or ignored, a fact that will come true tomorrow." 

Arashi nodded again, her eyes revealing nothing, the glaze in them, however, seemed to unnerve Karen even more. "I'm sure I do not need to point this out, but you do know—who the woman will be, don't you?" 

When she received no answer, she went on, seemingly almost afraid of what the younger woman's answer would be if she paused too long between her sentences. "I've seen you two, I've often wondered…oh, but I'm sorry. I shouldn't be interfering like this. But I was beginning to be afraid that…" 

She stopped, the concerned gaze in her eyes marred with frustration. 

"I'm afraid I can't put this in words, Arashi-san, but I'm sure you must know how I and the others feel. We all know—the truth, we all know what will happen tomorrow. You, of all people, should understand it even more. We're all prepared in our own ways, but things are—different for different people. Arisugawa-san…he knows. And I know you do, too. I…I can only hope you can find it in yourself to show it to him." 

The sudden change in Arashi's expression frightened Karen. Her already high eyebrows had arched, her lips had tightened, her eyes grown hard. 

"I'm sure I don't see how it is any of your business," she said tightly, as she stalked off, leaving a very perplexed Karen behind. 

He's been in the hospital for three weeks now, though who's to say he hasn't already left us for some place else…? Only those horrible machines that tick and tick and tick neverendingly. They drive me crazy with that sound, and sometimes I think there's nothing more I would like than to rip out the wires and stop the unceasing drone forever. 

But they say that would kill him. 

Though I'm sure it wouldn't make any difference at all…he's been here three weeks, like I've said, not talking or sitting up, or even opening his eyes. Just lying there, unmoving, pale and bony on the cheap hospital sheets that smell like burnt plastic. 

Already dead. 

Arashi opened her eyes painfully, the light stung and she blinked rapidly, trying to focus on her surroundings. Beige…beige, and white. Nice soothing colours. She was on a warm bed, the sheets rustled with a foreign sound, the scent of the room smelled alien. 

"Hello." 

She looked up into the kind eyes of a man in a white coat—a doctor no doubt. 

"You're awake. It's been three days since you were rescued from the rubble of the earthquake. You're a very lucky woman—" here he paused to consult the clipboard by her bed "—Kishuu-san." 

She nodded slowly, her senses gradually returning to her. "Then we won." There was a glint of curiosity in the old man's eyes, but he smiled it off, and said agreeably, "Yes, you've won. We'll be able to discharge you very soon, Kishuu-san. In about a week, I should say. Yes…if you eat well and recover quickly…" 

Arashi nodded. 

She would do that. 

There was a quiet knock at the door. I spun around to find a plump kind-looking nurse stride in with her customary clipboard. "Hello dear, stayed overnight? You look a mess…come on, I'll take you to the canteen for some lunch later on." 

She went to the droning machines and dipped her head down to inspect the digits and lines that appeared on their panels, writing it all down. I thought how strange that she should know he is alive just by looking at a plethora of blinking lines and numbers. 

"He's better than yesterday, I see…" She came over to me, lay a plump hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. "Don't worry, everything will be okay. He's improved since. You should stop worrying for a bit, come down and have a bite to eat." 

"Do you remember anything else, Arashi-san?" The men were kind, their faces open and interested. She sat at the table, her fingers in her lap, interlocking and unlocking, clammy and unsteady. 

She thought of Karen, and of Kamui, and of all the Seven Seals and—if even for a fleeting moment—even of the Seven Angels. She thought of the blood and the pain, and the fire. She remembered a face, bloodied beyond recognition, yet unnaturally bloodless in itself, smiling and telling her things would be all right. 

"No, that's all." 

They seemed fairly disappointed, as they bid her goodnight and allowed her to take her leave. 

It was the beep of the machine that awoke me. A high-pitched beep more frequent than its usual counterpart, that startled me into opening my eyes and seeing his fingers stretch out feebly onto the sheets, his lips twitch with words he couldn't seem to speak. 

All at once I felt an explosion within me, not unlike that of when I saw him back in all the blood. I leaned forward, my heart beating faster than it had for the past month. He couldn't open his eyes. His fingers stopped moving, his lips stopped twitching. I thought he had died again. 

Then, slowly, slowly, he opened his eyes, and turned his gaze upon me. Beautiful…he had beautiful eyes… 

"I love you." 

"I know." I couldn't seem to say anything else, though I would've thought all the pain in my heart all the past month should have spilled over at that moment. 

"I have to go, Arashi." 

"I know that too, Sorata." 

He turned his beautiful eyes from mine, and closed them, too tired to say anything else. His fingers roved sluggishly within mine, as I held on to them with everything good inside of me. And then they stopped moving altogether. 

And the beep from the machines dragged into a long wild moan. 

Now simply an echo of that from my own lips, and from my heart. 

OWARI 

  



End file.
